Chandler Township SchoolsAnd Halls

Please do not copy the photos on this site, many of which have been submitted by private individuals... just come back and visit the site often to view the photos.

The 1882 article below includes a teacher's description of Springvale, signed as "Mossback Teacher."

29 June 1882 ~ Petoskey City Record

11 September 1901 ~ The Petoskey Record

3 November 2014 ~ Viewed From Lake Street Petoskey MI

8 November 2014 ~ Viewed From Bay Street Petoskey MI

Nearby to Chandler Township... Petoskey MI had a college named "Normal Business College". In fact, still in 2014, the name can be seen on the side of a building on Lake Street in Petoskey as in the photo left. The first Petoskey High School was built in 1881 at 818 East Lake Street. That building was destroyed by fire on 13 December 1889. Myron O. Graves was the superintendent at the time, and was greatly distressed by the tragic event, so he resigned the next year. Mr. Graves had already opened the Petoskey Normal School and Business College in 1888. Throughout the years, that entity had been located at three different Mitchell Street addresses [See Article Left]. Then it was moved to 307-309 East Lake Street where the facility had room for 300 people. In 1908 the college had 31 graduates. Mr. Graves stayed with the college for 21 years at which time he moved to Nevada to be a high school principal.

The 1908 booklet titled "Petoskey: Queen City of the North" described Mr. Grave's place of learning as follows on page 6: "The Petoskey Normal and Business college was founded in the fall of 1888 by Prof. M.O. Graves, who is a graduate of the University of Michigan. [The Graves name can still be seen in 2014 on the back of the building as in the photo bottom left.] This splendid educational institution now enjoys a state-wide reputation as a college preparatory and normal training school. The branches taught at this school included college preparatory, English and Scientific Courses, Languages, Collegiate and Normal courses, Shorthand and Typewriting, Commercial and Business methods, Telegraphy, Civil Service, Electricity, Physical Culture, Oratory, etc. Over 1,000 students have been graduated from this school since its organization in 1888. The school occupies fine quarters at 309 Lake street, which are very conveniently arranged and are thoroughly equipped in every respect..."

The Normal Business College listings above did not specifically list teaching and education classes. With rural schools gaining in numbers in the early 1900s, additional teachers became a necessity. County Normal schools, filled that need for preparing teachers to teach in rural schools, and first steered toward only women. Later, the County Normal schools became "coed". Constance "Connie" Weber (Gallop) earned her diploma from Cheboygan County Normal Training Class on 16 June 1911.

Constance "Connie" Weber (Gallop) had the following photo/postcard which showed the 16 June 1911 graduating class which included Connie in the center row, three in from the left. Connie gained the knowledge at Cheboygan County Normal to then be a teacher for several years in the Chandler Township schools; for instance Connie taught in the Springvale and the Mackie schools. Connie taught for 21 years between Chandler Township and Harbor Springs MI. Connie was one of the Pioneers of Chandler Township.

The newspaper article at the left announced the names of the upcoming graduates. The back of the above photo/postcard put names to the faces of the new teachers who graduated from County Normal. Connie Weber had written the names of her classmates, thus the "You know" when she named her own image.

In the 1911 Educational Directory below on page 657, it was noted that the Principal of Cheboygan County Normal School was Winifred M. Cubbage, who was also in the photo above with Connie Weber and listed as "Miss Cubbage". The list below with the Cheboygan County Normal School does not show Emmet County Normal which did not yet exist in 1911.

1911 Educational Directory below on page 657

1911 Educational Directory below on page 657

The 1920 Petoskey High School yearbook titled "Observer" presented a history of Emmet County Normal shown below, and told that the Emmet County Normal had begun in September 1914.That yearbook also pictured Chandler Township resident Marvel Pearson as having attended Emmet County Normal shown below.

The 1884 book linked above stated on page 186: SCHOOL MATTERS.Chandler:---Three school-districts, sixty-six school children, one frame and three log school buildings.

Search the Clarke Historical Library (part of Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant MI) website for Chandler Township School Records in Charlevoix County MI. Then email the library to ask for a description of the collection - size, years that the records cover, and more. This information would tell if a trip to their library will satisfy your interests in the Chandler Township School Records which the library will have available for viewing.

Sharon Crego who had been a Chandler Township resident at one time, and also the mailman for Chandler Township told: "The Beechwood School near where Marion Mackie Wood lived on Chandler Hill was known as the Mackie School, just as the Elmridge School was known as the Clark School because the Clark Family lived near that school."

The 1916 article below told of the Charlevoix County School Commissioner visit to seven schools in Chandler, previously quarantined for infantile paralysis, and two little short calls in Melrose. The article identifies the Chandler Schools by Number, and by name, which is informative (also confusing compared to the 1901 Plat map school location labels), and also tells a little description about the schools. This article below refers to Camp 23 School as technically Chandler No. 6. Camp 23 School was actually located in Section 16.The article below does call Chandler No. 5, the old Blaine School. The Blaine Family, however, was recorded on the census as living in Section 6.

15 December 1916 ~ The Charlevoix County Herald

21 September 1917 ~ The Charlevoix County Herald #1

21 September 1917 ~ The Charlevoix County Herald #2

A doubt has never existed about the support the children of Chandler Township have received in regards to the importance of their education, and educational surroundings as noted in the article left and continued above.

The 1919 newspaper article below tells the teachers for not only Chandler township,but for all of the Rural Schools in Charlevoix County.

12 September 1919 ~ Continued next column...

12 September 1919

22 March 1918 ~ The Charlevoix County Herald #1

22 March 1918 ~ The Charlevoix County Herald #1

Article Below Left: In February of 1921 Charlevoix County was confronted by the resignations of several teachers, including Chandler Township's Mrs. Gladys Evarts and Miss Orthella Porter (later, after marriage, Orthella Porter DeNise taught in the Chandler Schools again). Then, Miss Edith Sellers of Warsaw, Indiana, began work in the Dana School, and Mrs. Constance Gallop was to complete the year in the Springvale School.

25 February 1921 ~ Charlevoix County Herald

27 May 1921 ~ Charlevoix County Herald

In 29 March 2004 the Charlevoix County Public School Districts map shows that most of Chandler Township Charlevoix County MI lies within the Petoskey School District. Only a very small portion of South-East Chandler Township is a part of the Vanderbilt School District in Otsego County.

Marion Mackie Wood, Chandler Township Charlevoix County resident, wrote a letter January 23, 1946to her daughter Isabelle Wood Oldham in Chicago IL: "The Boyne Falls High School [Boyne Valley Township Charlevoix County MI] burned this week and the plow went past to our school this morning. They are going to strip our schools to fix up temporary ones in the Falls. They don’t want us to be able to run this school if we needed to. Gladys Greenhoe Everett is teaching for us. She sleeps and eats in the school house. She has her youngest kid with her & I think a grandson. I guess she is giving satisfaction at that. She has a bad heart & got scared of driving over the roads from Clarion..." [Perhaps this was in the Mackie School just around the corner from where Marion lived at that time.]

Marion Mackie Wood wrote in her diarySeptember 6, 1950: "Cub's going to run the school bus at this end this winter,- I am not so sure of this- but Mamie talked as if he was- we have bought a new $4000. 00 school bus.

Page above seems to be from the 1928 -1929 DIRECTORY of the Public Schools of Charlevoix County, Michigan

Page above seems to be from the 1929-1930 DIRECTORY of the Public Schools of Charlevoix County, Michigan

Chandler Township School students eventually, often, would attend high school in other school districts, like Boyne Falls, Boyne City, or Petoskey to reach graduation. In the 26 June 1885 Emmet County Democrat newspaper had the following article about Petoskey High School's very first graduating class.

26 June 1885 ~ Emmet County Democrat newspaper

School Districts boundary lines lead to transportation issues... especially for the Penfold Family which lives the farthest out in the Petoskey School District.~ 1968 ~